Automatic noiseless railway-crossing



T. SPAULDING; AUTOMATIC NOISELESS RAILWAY CROSSING.

APPLICATION FILED 16.8. 1919- Patented Feb. 8,1921.

2 SHEETS -SHEET 23 I Q I 4 -47 It 9 43 50 /17 i W 13 W I THOMAS SPA'ULDING, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC NOISELESS RAILVIAY-CROSSING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

Application filed August 8, 1919. Serial No. 316,223.

T 0 all whom it may concern citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented new and use ful Improvements in Automatic Noiseless Railway-Crossings, of which the following 1s a specification.

My invention has relation to railway crossings of the wheel-operated type, although it is susceptible to operation by other means, and it is an object of this invention to provide a railway crossing practically noiseless in its operation and which cars may pass over without the jar and noise incident to the use of the prevailing type.

Another object is to provide a railway crossing having turn-tables, located at the rail intersections, designed to be rotated by the action of laterally moving levers 11voted beside the rails and adapted to come into contact with the flanges of the car wheels.

Another object is to provide a railway crossing having turn-table members at the rail intersections, each of the turn-tables carrying a tread, or rai section, and having a flange-way on each side of the tread to permit operative alinement of the tread with the intersecting rails whether the turntable be rotated to the right or to the left.

Another object is to provide a railway crossing having turn-table members at the rail intersections, each of the turn-tables carrying a tread with a flange-way on each side of the tread, and the sides of the tread converging toward each end to allow clearance for the wheel flange in event of lost motion in the operation of the mechanism of the crossing.

Another object is to provide a railway crossing having turn-table members which are interchangeable and readily removable for replacement or repair.

Another object is to providea railway crossing having at the rail intersections turn-table members detachably connected to rotary disks beneath the rails, which rotary disks carry adjustable channels or guides by means of which the motion is transmitted to the rotary disks from the levers pivoted beside the rails.

Another object is to provide a railway crossing having turn-table, or rotary frog, members at the rail intersections and V- shaped joints in the adjacent rails to prevent the expansion of the rails from binding the rotary members against movement, as well as to prevent the contraction of the rails from opening such gaps at the joints as would cause jar and noise from passing cars.

With these and other objects in View the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a plan view showing intersecting railway tracks with this invention applied thereto. a

Fig 2 is a perspective view showing construction details at one of the intersections and the means for counteracting the effects of contraction and expansion of the rails.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the rotating mechanism, one of the intersecting rails being omittec.

Fig. 4 is an elevation at intersection B the turning mechanism of which is operated by means of a lever connected to a rotating device at intersection A. V

Flg. 5 is a perspective view showing a modification in the application of the actuating lever for a direct-operating intersectron, such an intersection being one at which are located surface levers adapted to be engaged by the flanges of the passing wheels.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line w-m of Fig. 3.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

More specifically in the drawings 7-7 represent the rails of one track and 88' represent the rails of another track crossing the first mentioned track at a right angle, the intersections being designated by the letters A, B, C, and D, respectively At each intersection is mounted a turn-table 9 having a vertical stem or axis 10. On the upper side of each turn-table is formed a tread 11 with narrowing ends and having flange-ways 12 and 13 on opposite sides. Turn-table 9 is supported by collar 14 which rests on base-plate 15, the base-plate being supported by cross-ties or other suitable means. Short rail sections 16 and 17 are provided between the turn-tables and the main rails said short rails having their tread portions at the outer ends formed V-shaped as shown at 18 and 19 the apexes of the V-shapes being preferably pointed in the.

direction from which the greater volume of trafiic approaches. The web at the outer end of each of the short rails is enlarged to provide a supporting shoulder as indicated at 20 on which rests the extended portions of the treads of the main rails, which are cut to fit the outer ends of the short rails.

Beside the rails are pivoted at 21, 22,

and 24 the primary levers 25, 26, 27 and respectively, and beyond the free ends these primary levers are pivoted at 29, 31 and 32 the secondary levers 33, 34, 35 and 36, respectively. Arms 37 are rigidly attached to'each of the primary levers and arms 38 are similarly attached to each of the secondary levers. Flexible connection is maintained between arms 37 and 38 by means of the pin and slot formation as indicated at 39. The primary and secondary le- Vets, in vertical cross section, are of inverted L formation, substantially, the horizontal portion being curved to provide the lever greater range of action and is adapted to overlap the rail (see Fig. 6) when the lever is in closed position. Primary levers 25 and 26 are each provided with rigid extensions 40 and 41, respectively, which are projected downward and forward to engagement with the rotating mechanism.

At intersections designated A, B and C bell-crank levers 42, 43 and 44, respectively, are pivoted on the axes or stems 10 of the turn-tables, said bell-crank levers resting on brackets 45 which are attached to the baseplates. The arms of bell-crank lever 42 are turned up at their outer ends and project through slots 46 and 47 in levers 25 and 27, respectively, and, similarly, the arms of bellcrank lever 44 project through slots 48 and 49 of levers 26 and 28, respectively. Rods 50 and 51 connect bell-crank levers 42 and 44 with bell-crank lever 43.

Below brackets 45' and attached to the base-plates are brackets 52 on which are pivoted rotary disks 53 provided with centrall located, upward projecting stems 54 to which axes 10 of the, turn-tables are detachably connected by means of tongue and groove formations as indicated at 55.

At intersections A and C stems 54 are each cut away to their centers on one side near their lower ends, as indicated at 56, to permit the passage of extensions 40 and 41 of actuating'levers 25 and 26 along lines bisecting the centers of stems 54.

Rotary disks 53 at intersections A and C carry on their upper surfaces guides, or channels, in two sections 57 and 58. Channel 57 is preferably rigidly attached to disk 53, while channel 58 is pivoted at 59 and adjustable by means of screw 60 to permit arrangement of the two channel sections so their relation to eachother will conform to that of the intersecting rails above. One

end of screw 60 is supported in eye-bolt 61 which is mounted on disk 53 and adapted to turn as necessary in changing the position of channel 58. The other end of screw (30 is pivotally connected to channel 58.

The turn-table at intersection B is operated by means of rod 62 connecting disks 53 at intersections B and A, and, similarly, the turn-table at intersection D is operated by means of rod 63 connecting disks 53 at intersections C and D.

A modification in the application of the actuating lever is shown in Fig. 5 which permits of reducing the range of movement of the primary lever 64, the desired range of movement being obtained for the extension 65 by providing the required length for the extension 65 below the point 66 at which it is pivoted.

The secondary levers would be necessary in case a car should stop on the crossing after one or more pairs of wheels had passed over the near intersections and was then obliged to back up. If meanwhile the turning mechanism had been operated to throw the treads on the turn-tables out of alinement with the rails on which the car stood the secondary levers would insure the restoration of a clear passage.

It will be apparent the bearings may be made adjustable to prevent lost motion and that suitable hand-holes near the intersections will permit of removing and replac i V worn parts without the necessity forue: vating after the crossing is in place. The facility with which positively operated nals may be connected with the rotating mechanism to show the position of the cross in as to closed or clear track is obvious.

*rom the foregoing the operation of the device will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. It is evident that one of the wheels on the first truck of a car appreaching the crossing on either track wiil, if the turn-tables are not in proper position for the car to pass over properly, come into engagement with one of theprimary levers the lateral movement of which will open the flange-ways to the approaching wheels and at the same time close the flange-wayson the other track through the operation of the bell crank levers and the primary and secondary levers. The resulting action of the extensions of the primary levers in the channels will rotate the disks and turn-tables simultaneously and thereby place the tread on the turn-table at each intersection in alinement with the rails on which the car approaches. The positions of the various parts will thereafter be maintained until a car approaches to operative position on the other track when the ahnement will be similarly accomplished to accommodate traffic on that track.

Various alterations and modifications in construction and arrangement of the parts are possible within the scope of this invention and I do not, therefore, wish to be considered restricted to the precise construction and arrangement here shown.

I claim:

1. In a railway crossing, the combination with pairs of intersecting rails, turn-tables mounted at the points of intersection, said turn-tables having on their upper surfaces treads narrowing at each end, a flange-way on each side of the tread and means for bringing the treads into alinement with the rails of the intersecting tracks.

2. In a railway crossing, the combination with pairs of intersecting rails, turn-tables at the intersections, treads and flange-ways on the upper surfaces of the turn-tables, rotary disks mounted near the turn-tables and connected therewith, guides attached to the rotary disks and means for rotating the disks.

3. In a railway crossing, the combination with pairs of intersecting rails, turn-tables at the intersections, treads and flange-ways on the turn-tables, rotary disks mounted below the turn-tables and connected therewith, sectional channels mounted on the rotary disks, means for altering the positions of the different sections of the channels with relation to each other and means for turning the rotary ClJSkS.

4. In a railway crossing, the combination with pairs of intersecting rails, turn-tables at the points of intersection, treads on the upper surfaces of the turn-tables, said treads narrowing toward their ends, wheel flangeways on each side of the treads, rotary disks near the turn-tables and connected therewith, adjustable guides mounted on the rotary disks, laterally movable levers pivoted beside the rails, extensions of these levers projected into operative engagement with the guides and means for transmitting motion to the various intersections.

5. In a railway crossing, the combination with pairs of intersecting rails, turn-tables at the points of intersection, treads on the upper surfaces of the turn-tables, said treads being narrowed toward their ends, wheel flange-ways on each side of the treads, rotary disks below the turn-tables and connected therewith, adjustable channels mounted on the rotary disks, laterally movable primary levers pivoted beside the rails, secondary levers pivoted beside the rails beyond the free ends of the primary levers, flexible connection between the primary and secondary levers, extensions of the primary levers into operative engagement with the channels on the rotary disks and means for connecting the operating mechanism at the various intersections.

6. In a railway crossing, the combination with pairs ofintersecting rails, turn-tables at the points of intersection, treads and wheel flange-ways on the turn-tables, laterally movable levers beside the rails said levers being each pivoted at one end and having their upper portions turned to a horizontal plane and adapted to overlap the adjacent rails when the levers are in closed positions,

curved edges on the horizontal portions ofthe levers, means for transmitting the motion of the levers to the turn-tables and means for connecting the operating mechanism of the various intersections.

7 In a railway crossing, the combination with pairs of intersecting rails, turn-tables mounted at the points of intersection, treads and wheel flange-ways on the turn-tables, primary levers pivoted beside the rails, operative connection between the primary levers and the turn-tables, bell-crank levers mounted at the intersections and connecting the primary levers and means for connecting the bell-crank levers to each other.

8. In a noiseless railway crossing, the combination with pairs of intersecting rails,

turn-tables mounted at the points of inter-' section, treads and wheel flange-ways carried on the turn-tables, short rail sections adjacent to the turn-tables, V-shaped formation of the treads of the short rail sections at their ends distant from the turn-tables, enlarged webs beneath the treads at the outer ends of the short rail sections, supporting shoulders formed on the upper portions of the enlarged Webs and V-shaped formations of the treads at the ends of the main rails, where they connect with the short rail sections, said V-shaped formations of the main rails and short rail sections being adapted to fit together.

9. In a railway crossing of the character described, the combination with pairs of intersecting rails, a base-plate at one of the intersections and main rail ends resting thereon, short rail sections resting on the base-plate at the end of and in alinement with each main rail and forming a continua'tion thereof, V-shaped formation of the treads at the outer ends of the short rail sections, enlarged webs at the outer ends of the short rail sections, shoulders formed on the enlarged webs, V-shaped formation of the tread portions of the main rails at their junctions with the short rail sections, said tread portions being under-cut and resting on the shoulders of the enlarged webs, a collar having downwardly diverging sides mounted on the base-plate between the short rail sections, a turn-table resting on the collar and having a depending cylindrical stem extending through the collar and base-plate, a tread narrowing toward each end formed on the upper surface of the turn-table, wheel flange-ways on each side of the tread, primary levers each pivoted at one end for lateral movement beside the rails, secondary levers beyond the free ends of the primary levers and each pivoted at one end for lat eral movement, flexible connection between the primary and secondary levers, said primary and secondary levers having their upper portions turned to a horizontal plane and adapted to over-lap the adjacent rails when the levers are in closed positions, curved edges on the horizontal portions of the primary and secondary levers, a bellcrank lever supported on a bracket beneath the base-plate and pivoted on the stem of the turn-table the extended arms of the bellcrank lever being turned up near their ends and projecting through slots inthe baseplate to engagement each with one of the primary levers, a second bracket attached beneath the base-plate, a rotary disk pivoted on the bracket, an upwardly'projecting centrally located stem rigidly attached to the rotary disk, detachable connection be tween the stern of theiturn-table and the stem of the rotary disk which latter stem is cut away to the center on one side near its junction with the rotary disk, an adjustable channel attached to the rotary disk, and a rigid extension of one of the primary levers maintaining operative engagement with the channel; at the diagonally opposite intersection a construction and arrangement of parts similar to that described above, at each of the two remaining intersections a base-plate, short rail sections connected to the main rails, a turn-table and second bracket, as described above, a rotary disk mounted on the bracket said rotary disk having a centrally located upwardprojecting stem to which the stem of the turn-table is detachably connected, a rod having one end pivoted on the rotary disk and its other 10. In a construction of the character de-' scribed, the combination with pairs of inter- 1 secting rails, short rail sections near the points of intersection said'short rail: sections having at their ends most distant from the intersections V-shaped formations of their treads, enlarged webs supporting the 'V- shaped tread portions,shoulders formed on the enlarged webs, V-shaped. formations of the treads of the rails immediately connecting with the short rail sections, such shaped formations of the short rail sectio s and connecting rails being adapted to fit together and means for providing practically continuous treads at the intersections for each of the intersecting tracks as desired.

IH'WltllQSS'tllfLt I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this first day of August, 1919.

THOMAS SPAULDING. Witnesses:

OLIVER H. BROGDON, KENNETH M. Lens. 

